Kewon White found guilty of capital murder in MO3 killing
Kewon White has been found guilty of capital murder in the 2020 killing of Dallas rapper MO3 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Jurors reached the verdict after White declined to testify and after more than three hours of deliberations in the alleged murder-for-hire case.
Key Takeaways
- Kewon White was convicted of capital murder in MO3's 2020 Interstate 35 ambush killing in Dallas.
- White declined to testify; the jury deliberated a little more than three hours before convicting him.
- The judge sentenced White to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
- Prosecutors allege rapper Yella Beezy hired White; co-defendants Markies Conway and Devin Brown still face trial.
The conviction closes the first chapter of a closely watched Dallas case that linked a chart-topping local rap feud to a freeway ambush. For more coverage in this beat, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries hub.
What did the jury decide in Kewon White's MO3 trial?
According to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, both sides rested Friday afternoon and jurors began deliberations soon after. After a little more than three hours, they found Kewon White guilty of capital murder.
The judge then sentenced White to life without parole. FOX 4 News also reported the capital murder guilty verdict in the killing of MO3, whose real name was Melvin Noble.
CBS News Texas reported that jurors began deliberating Friday in the murder trial of Kewon White, who is accused of killing Dallas rapper Mo3 in an alleged murder-for-hire plot.
Why did Kewon White decline to testify?
FOX 4's live trial coverage noted that Kewon White declined to testify in his own defense before closing arguments. Sources did not detail his personal reasons for that choice.
The defense argued in closings that the state had not proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutors urged jurors to focus on the evidence and the facts presented at trial.
What evidence did prosecutors present against Kewon White?
NBC 5 reported that testimony centered on songs by MO3 and Yella Beezy, Kewon White's phone and bank records, and social media posts around the time of the murder. Songs including MO3's "219" and Yella Beezy's "Keep It in the Streets" and "On Yo Head" were played for the jury.
Week-one witnesses included forensics experts, law enforcement, video of White's arrest in Mount Pleasant, people who supplied surveillance footage, apartment residents who saw Noble shortly before the shooting, and Noble's former girlfriend, who has children with co-defendant Devin Brown.
Prosecutors say a beef among rappers MO3, TrapBoyFredy, and Yella Beezy led to the shooting. They allege White was the gunman. The defense argued some evidence shown at trial does not relate to White.
Who else is charged in MO3's killing?
Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, is accused of orchestrating the killing. Devin Brown is also charged with capital murder and alleged to have helped coordinate the shooting. FOX 4 reported White is already serving time on an unrelated gun charge.
All three men have pleaded not guilty, according to reporting cited by NBC 5. White is the first of the three to stand trial; trials for Conway and Brown are expected to follow.
A pretrial legal fight over whether rap lyrics could be used as evidence drew national attention. A judge allowed three songs as evidence after prosecutors argued they helped show motive and intent, while the defense called the tracks artistic expression.